LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Jan. 21, 2009) – Trailing 26-22 after the opening half, the Tigers used halftime to regroup, using a 63.6% second half shooting percentage and a combined 38-points fromJack Hanley and Sean Andersonto come-from-behind for a 68-60 victory over Whittier College who entered the night previously unbeaten in SCIAC play.

Hanley broke out with a 21-point performance, going 2-for-3 from long range and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line to score a season high. Equally as impressive tonight was a 17-point, 18-rebound (six offensive) double-double from Anderson. Both players had just six points in the opening half.

The Tigers and Poets were tied at 12-12 with 10:42 to play in the opening stanza. Whittier then used an 8-0 run to take momentum and again led by eight with just over three minutes to play in the half. Oxy cut the deficit to a pair and trailed by four at intermission.

Whittiermaintained the lead until Clark Gordon layed one in to knot the game for the fifth time. Seven and a half minutes later Hanley scored hit a three-pointer to break a 46-46 tie, the eighth and final tie of the game, sparking a 9-0 run that was capped off by a dunk from senior Justin Goltz. With 2:32 to play in regulation Anderson added a dunk of his own to give the Tigers a double figure lead at 60-50 en route to the win.

Joining Anderson and Hanley in double figures tonight were Peter Gierlach (12) and Goltz(11). Overall Oxy shot 46.8% from the field. They were 14-for-22 in the second half after opening with just an 8-for-25 (32%) performance.

Anderson and David Ostrow supplied three assists apiece while Goltz, Gierlach and Jake Copithorne each had two (Copithorne's came in just six minutes of action).

Oxy outrebounded WC 42-26, grabbing 15 offensive boards, which led to 20 second chance points. Goltz was second on the Tigers with seven rebounds (three offensive) while Hanley pulled down six.

Michael Archuletta led the Poets with a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double tonight, adding a block and an assist while Marcus Gibson supplied 10 points.

Occidental improves to 6-9 overall and evens their SCIAC record at 2-2 while Whittier falls to 9-6 overall, 3-1.

The Tigers will host the Caltech Beavers on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. in Rush Gymnasium following a 5:00 p.m. women's basketball game against the Beavers.